Changes We Make
by tech60
Summary: When Elsword decides to train in magic, he turns to the one person he never thought he would; Aisha. But how will these lessons change the two and those around them? (rated T for blood and mild suggestive themes)
1. Chapter 1: Realization

Elsword: Changes We Make

Chapter 1: Realizations

Elsword- Magic Knight (soon to be)

Aisha- High Mage

Rena- Trapping Ranger

Eve- Code Architecture

Raven- Weapon Taker

Chung- Shelling Guardian

"There are some grunts, two mages, and that appears to be the leader in the back. Everyone ready? ", Rena asked, regarding her other two companions. Aisha and Elsword nodded simultaneously. Rena nodded back. "Alright then. Let's go!" With that being said the small group ran out of the bushes.

The band of thieves turned around quickly. "W-what the- GET THEM!" the leader yelled. Just as he grabbed his mace, he came face-to- blade with Elsword.

"I wouldn't if I were you." Elsword said with a cocky grin on his face. The leader ignored the threat and swung his mace. Elsword took a step to the side to avoid the blow and quickly cut down the leader. "I warned you." He said as he quickly dispatched one of the grunts. He turned quickly in time to see Rena slice one of her opponents quickly with Erendil only to follow it up with a shot from her bow. Elsword smirked confidently. "_This'll be too easy_", he thought.

Suddenly a small explosion came up behind him as he turned to see one of the mages aiming another fireball at him. Elsword rushed in, eager to put an end to the nuisance. The mage grinned sinisterly and launched another fireball, quickly creating more and launching them in rapid succession. Elsword managed to dodge the first two, but fell as another shot hit the ground in front of him. Elsword looked up to see the mage charge a larger, deadlier-looking fireball and aim it for where he was.

"Not good!", he said urgently. He got up quickly, but not quick enough it seemed, as the mage launched the flaming projectile with alarming speed. Elsword closed his eyes as he raised his sword, prepared to take the attack head on. That is untill he heard another voice in front of him.

"_Blizzard Shower!" _Elsword opened his eyes in time to see Aisha summoning a barrage of ice shards directly in the path of the fire ball. The two forces collided and quickly destroyed the other oncoming attack. Aisha quickly raised her staff as a mana circle surrounded her. "_Magic Missile!"_ Suddenly, a large ball of energy appeared in front of Aisha and quickly shot out at the opposing mage.

Before the mage could even get a scream of fear out, the energy orb quickly crashed into him, sending him several feet backwards. The other thieves quickly ran off, carrying their injured with them. The group relaxed as they watched the adversaries run off. Well almost the entire group.

"Why'd you do that!?" Elsword said as he stomped up angrily towards Aisha.

Aisha rolled her eyes with an annoyed expression on her face. "You're welcome, jerk."

"Welcome for what? I could've taken that last mage myself!", Elsword snapped back.

"Huh yeah, after you picked yourself up off the ground first, by which point you would've been nothing but a pile of ashes." Aisha replied casually.

"I could've-"

"Ok you two, separate corners. We just finished a fight. We don't need you two starting one up again." Rena said as she searched through one of the abandoned bags. She smiled as she pulled out an El Shard, the reason they'd been following the thieves in the first place. "Alright, found it we can head back now."

**Back in Elder**

"… and another thing!" Elsword said angrily.

"Alright Elsword, we get it. You could've taken the last mage alone." Aisha said with an exasperated look on her face. "All I'm saying is that some gratitude wouldn't hurt.", she added as they arrived at their current lodgings. Chung sat outside with Eve with a toolbox and his cannon, Destroyer, in front of them.

"Hey Chung, we're back." Rena said happily.

Chung looked up from his work for a second and smiled to his friends. "Hey guys. Everything go well?"

Elsword walk directly inside and slammed the door. Chung's smile faded a little. "Oookay, I guess not?"

"Elsword's just upset because Aisha helped him a little during the attack." Rena explained. Chung nodded with understanding. By this point, the whole group was used to Elsword's acting somewhat immature when his pride was injured.

"I don't see what the bid deal is." Aisha grumbled. "All I did was probably save his life."

"Don't be too mad. Elsword is just being… well, Elsword. He'll get out of it sooner or later." Rena said patiently. Aisha shook her head.

Chung got up and turned to Eve. "Could you clean up for me? I'm gonna try to talk to Elsword." Eve nodded as her mobile Nasod units quickly got to putting away the tools. Chung walked inside. Over the course of their journey, Chung and Elsword became good friends, so Chung was used to getting Elsword out of his foul mood. He nodded to Raven politely as he passed by, and soon found himself at Elsword's room. He knocked a few times, only to find no response. He tried again.

"Go away Chung!" Elsword replied. Chung took that as a signal to come in, seeing as how the door was unlocked.

"What do you want?" Elsword snapped as he stood in front of a practice dummy carrying a large wooden practice sword.

"Elsword put the practice blade down. Hitting the dummy won't solve your problem." Chung said matter-of-factly. Elsword didn't turn around. Chung sighed again and this time took the sword out of his friend's hands. Elsword turned around with annoyance. Chung didn't back down and instead gave Elsword a serious look. "Look I know you're upset because Aisha had to help you. But practicing till you drop won't help."

Elsword growled a little, but relented and plopped onto his bed. "It isn't even the fact that the stupid flat-chest had to save me again." Elsword confided. Chung gave a surprised look, but smirked a little when he heard Elsword refer to Aisha by the title he'd given her. It meant he wasn't as upset as he looked.

"It's not?"

"No it's the fact that- that- I feel weak again."

Chung frowned a little as he heard his friend refer to himself as weak. "C'mon Elsword, stop mulling. It doesn't fit you at all. And stop thinking you're weak. You're one of the best swordsmen I know."

"That's just it. One of. Not the best. Sis never had trouble fighting mages. She could handle a whole army of them if she wanted to." Elsword said as he got up and turned to his friend. Chung gave a sympathetic look.

"Well you're not your sister, you're you. You've gotta stop feeling sorry for yourself man." Elsword still looked unconvinced. Chung sighed as he had run out of things that usually cheered Elsword up. Suddenly an idea hit him. "Y'know, there may be a way to remedy this. Have you ever considered learning to actually use magic?"

Elsword gave Chung and incredulous look. Then he started laughing. Chung assumed a confused look as Elsword continued to laugh. Elsword look as Chung again to see him still confused. "Wait, you're serious?!"

"Yes. C'mon Elsword think about it. Learning magic may just help you out if you actually try it." Chung said hopefully. Elsword shook his head.

"No way! Forget it! I'm a swordsman, not a magician! I can't be seen using magic!" Elsword said with a hint of pride in his voice.

"Why not?" Chung asked. Elsword opened his mouth to answer, then quickly closed it as he had none. Chung smiled as he attained victory. "Exactly. Elsword look I know you think magic is weak and kind of lame. But some swordsmen have made great strides in their lives due to magic." Elsword still look skeptical to the idea. Chung decided to play his trump card. "You'd have a style of your own. You would even be able to surpass your sister if you wanted to." Elsword suddenly perked up a little as the thought sank in.

He nodded a bit. "Yeah, yeah, maybe you're right Chung. Ok, I'll do it. I'll learn how to wield magic." Chung smiled as his friend re-assumed his look of confidence. Suddenly it turned to skepticism again. "Wait, where am I gonna find a teacher?"

"Well there's always-"

"Don't say it! Anyone but her!" Elsword exclaimed.

"C'mon Elsword. Aisha is the only one who could teach as we travel." Chung assumed a sly smile. "Or are you just afraid to ask her because deep down you really just have a crush on her?" Elsword gave a look that was a cross between anger and embarrassment.

"I-i-its nothing like that! I just don't wanna have to go to that flat-chest looking for her help! She'll never let me live it down."

"It's either that, or give up on this whole thing entirely buddy. It's your choice." Elsword sat back on his bed and thought it over.

"_It would be nice to know how to do something other than swing a sword, but…"_ Elsword sighed and finally raised his hands in defeat. "Alright fine. I'll ask Aisha." Chung gave Elsword a proud look, to which Elsword returned with mock anger. "But if I end up humiliated, you're a dead man Chung." Chung gave a look of exasperation as he walked out of his friend's room. Elsword assumed a look of anxiety. "Now… how am I gonna ask her?"

**(A/N Hope you all enjoyed the story so far. Sorry it hasn't seemed to have picked up too much. But don't worry that'll change in the next update. Till then adieu.)**


	2. Chapter 2: Asking

Elsword: Changes We Make

Chapter 2: Asking

**Aisha POV**

Aisha lay on her bed and stared at the ceiling. Normally, she'd be tired after using such powerful spells during the battle. And yet she didn't feel even minor fatigue. Instead she felt anger and a little bit of hurt after the confrontation with Elsword. _All I did was try to help him. He didn't have to snap like that. _She scowled as she thought back to all the other times Elsword had insulted her. "Ugh, you'd think as he got older, he'd get a little more mature. But no! Instead, he just becomes even more annoying. He thinks he's soooo grown up, but he acts like a five year old if someone tries to help him."

"Maybe he has a reason for his actions.", a somewhat metallic voice said. Aisha jumped a little, but relaxed she watched Eve walk in. "I apologize for intruding. I simply meant to ask you something."

Aisha sighed. "It's nothing. And were you referring to Elsword when you said he may have a reason for why he acts like that?" Eve nodded.

"Yes. From what I've observed, perhaps he is simply trying to compensate for a lack of attention from his sister as a child, seeing as how she treated him somewhat coldly during his childhood."

"I doubt it. And even if that's the case, it doesn't excuse him being a jerk about it. He could always just talk to one of us about it."

"Which leads to my next theory. Perhaps Elsword is simply trying to protect those around him by trying to do everything himself. While I don't always agree with his behavior in doing so, I do sense that may be a factor in his actions. But that wasn't the reason for my coming in. I was going to ask if you'd seen Chung."

"I think he's in Elsword's room. Why did you need him for something?"

"No… just curious is all. I'll leave you back to your festering now." And without another word, Eve breezed out of the room leaving a somewhat bewildered Aisha.

"The girl says she has no emotions, but she'd work wonders as a psychiatrist. Oh well." Aisha got off her bed and put away her staff. Just then, someone else knocked at the door. "It's open."

Elsword poked her head inside cautiously. Aisha glared a little. "Is there something I can help you with?" she asked impatiently.

Elsword stepped inside a little. "Uh, yeah I um… I just wanted to y'know; apologize for how I acted earlier. It wasn't right and I'm sorry." Aisha raised her eyebrows in surprise. It usually wasn't like Elsword to apologize without someone having to convince him to do so. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Why are you doing this? Normally you'd only apologize if it benefits you?" she said accusingly. Elsword raised his hands defensively.

"Just trying to bury the hatchet. I'll uh, be on my way now." Elsword walked out of the room, which only served to confuse Aisha even more.

"Today is just getting weirder and weirder." She paused in thought as what Eve had said and what Elsword had just done sank in. "Maybe he really does just want to keep people safe." She shrugged it off, picked up one of the books she kept on her shelf and started to read.

**The next day…**

Aisha stumbled a little under the weight of the load she carried. A stack of books from a local book store was in her arms, though much to her chagrin, the stack obscured her field of vision. She only a few feet when she tripped on a rock, and the stack fell from her hands and her with it.

"Ugh, great.", she muttered as she picked herself up and began to pick up the books. A shadow suddenly appeared over her, and she looked up to see Elsword staring down at her.

"Need some help with those?" he asked offered. Aisha nodded, though she still didn't believe it, even when Elsword bent down to help her carry the load. "What are all these for anyways?" he asked as the two walked towards the house.

"They're books on magic related artifacts. I'm trying to see if any of them have anything to do with the ring that took my powers."

Elsword gave a look of slight fascination. "Huh, more magic huh? Sounds cool." After a moment of silence he added, "Maybe I could borrow one sometime."

Aisha stopped to face Elsword, an incredulous look on her face. "Elsword since when do you have a fascination in magic? Heck, since when do you read?!"

Elsword glared a little. "Hey I read… sometimes. Anyways what does it matter I was just asking."

Aisha didn't back down. "Come to think of it, you're being awfully nice lately. What's gotten into? Why are you acting so nice?"

Elsword paused and took a deep breath. He then asked incoherently, "Aisha… could you…teachmemagic?"

"What?"

"Could you teach me how to use magic?", Elsword repeated, this time trying not to mumble. A mischievous smile crossed Aisha's face, as she put a hand to her ear, feigning hearing issues.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear quiet right. Would you please repeat that last sentence?"

Elsword gritted his teeth, took another deep breath and repeated himself. "Aisha, would you _please_ teach me how to wield magic?"

Aisha gave a skeptic look. "Weeelllllll… I dunno. It'll take more than that to convince me that you'd actually take this seriously."

Elsword assumed a look of urgency. "Please Aisha! I'll do whatever it takes, I promise!"

Aisha stifled a laugh. "So glad you said that, because I have a list of demands."

Elsword sighed wearily. "Fine, what are they?"

"Number 1: You will refer to me only as Aisha-sama or Sensei. Number 2: You will do exactly as I tell you, no matter how ridiculous it may seem. And number 3: You are not to refer to me as 'flat' ever again. Do we have a deal?", she said as she extended an open hand. Elsword put his hand out, and they shook. "Alright then. Your training begins now. Your first task; drop these books off in my room please." Aisha dropped the books she was carrying onto the half Elsword had. He didn't struggle under the weight, but still spoke up in protest.

"Hey! What are you going off to do?", he exclaimed as Aisha walked back towards town.

"I have to go get some supplies.", she called over her shoulder. "Meet me at the sparring hall tomorrow at 10 o'clock. In the mean time, read a few of those books, try to get a basic grasp on what we'll be working on tomorrow." Elsword groaned as he continued the walk back to the house.

**Elsword: Why do I have a bad feeling about this?**

**Me: Oh relax. I'm sure Aisha won't make you do anything **_**too**_** embarrassing.**

**Aisha: No promises. **

**Raven: When am I gonna appear?**

**Me: Soon, soon.**

**Eve: All respective characters are property of Killer Combo and K-On.**

**(A/N Well, this update was fast. For those who were hopping for anything involving the others, don't worry they'll be here soon. Till then laters."**


	3. Chapter 3: Training

Elsword: Changes We Make

**(A/N Hello boys and girl I'm BAAAAACK. Did ya miss me? Sorry it took so long for this update, I've been super busy with school and what not. I'll be somewhat inconsistent in updates just so you know. But I will do my best to update these for you guys.)**

Chapter 3: Training

**Raven's POV**

It wasn't very often that Raven got the house to himself. But with Elsword and Aisha off at the training hall, Chung and Eve working in the shed on their individual weapons, and Rena of who-knows-where, it was one of those golden opportunities he got to spend some alone time. That is, untill said elven warrior stepped into the house.

"Hey Raven." Rena said with her usually friendly smile. Raven nodded in acknowledgement as she sat down in the chair opposite of him. They sat in companionable silence for while. While Raven was friendly towards the others (in his own odd way of showing it), he and Rena got along better, probably because the two of them were the oldest in the group. The silence continued a little longer, untill Raven decided to break it.

"Sooo… has it been easy? Using a sword in battle I mean. I know you were used to using a bow more often than not in battle.", he said casually.

"It's getting easier. The Night Watchers held special lessons in sword combat training. But I'm still behind, and I have a ways to go before I truly master it." Raven nodded in understanding, remembering how long it took for him to master his Nasod arm.

"Well…if you want, I could train with you. I know my way around the sword, and I could show you a thing or two." Raven said cautiously. Rena gave a look of mock anger.

"Do you think I'm that weak?" Raven raised his hands quickly to apologize.

"I-I didn't mean to offend. Simply offe-" He was cut off as Rena started giggling.

"I was kidding silly. I'd love to train with you." She said as she got up. "C'mon, we can train out back." Raven sighed in relief, as he grabbed two training blades from the corner. He stepped outside and handed Rena a training blade. He stood opposite of her and raised his blade.

"Ready?"

"Ready!" And with that the two began. It started with small strikes that were easy to block or dodge. But soon into the fight, the two became serious, slashing, parrying, and swinging, but the two always managed to dodge the other's attacks. Rena feigned forward then quickly stepped back as Raven took the bait and began to step back. Rena performed a small leg sweep in front of her as Raven's foot hit the ground. Raven quickly fell on his back. As he looked up he saw the end of a wooden training blade in front of his face. Raven looked up to Rena, stunned for a little while. _She says she's still learning, yet she wields a blade like a pro. _He thought not even hearing Rena.

"… Raven… RAVEN!" Raven looked up from his thoughts as Rena gave him a concerned look. "Finally. Are you ok?" She said holding a hand out to help him up. Raven was about to take the hand, when memory flashed through his mind. _Seris… standing over me… smiling…_

Raven quickly picked himself up and dusted himself off. "I'm fine. We can train again tomorrow. In the mean time, I have some business to attend to." And with that, he walked away leaving behind a very confused Rena.

* * *

"Alright, now that we're here, we can get you started." Aisha said as she tossed a bag to Elsword. Elsword eyed the bag suspiciously.

"What's in this thing exactly?"

Aisha gave a confident smile. "Some new equipment. Head to the locker room and try it on." Elsword slung the bag over his shoulder and walked into one of the nearby changing rooms. After about ten minutes, Aisha became impatient.

"C'mon Elsword! We don't have forever! Hurry up!"

"No way! I feel ridiculous!" he responded. "Why these clothes anyway?!"

"They're specially designed to channel one's mana in order to harness them to the best of their ability." She said matter-of-factly.

"Forget it Aisha, I'm not coming out in these!"

"What's rule #2?"

"… Follow your instructions exactly…"

She smirked. "That's right. And my instructions are that you come out here right now!" Elsword stepped out reluctantly. He was dressed in a shirt that reached down to just above his stomach and a white jacket with two straps, one of them crossing his chest, black pants with red trim on them and grey shoes. Aisha circled him, inspecting him. She smiled a little. "Hmm… very nice. I was hoping I'd gotten the right size. Alright Elsword, you followed instructions, so now you get a reward. Reach in the bag again."

"It's empty."

"Ah, ah, ah. Rule #2." Elsword grumbled to himself as he reached back into the bag. His eyes lit up in surprise as his hands touched something that felt familiar to him. He pulled his hand out to reveal a large red and white sword with black flames on both sides.

"How did…when did…", he began.

Aisha closed her eyes in triumph. "One thing you should know while you're still training under me Elsword; mages always have a plan. You didn't know it but I enchanted that bag. I used a void spell so that the blade would stay hidden untill the bag was empty. Pretty impressive, huh?" Aisha opened her eyes to see Elsword testing the blade. She rolled her eyes a little and went back to the lesson.

"Alright, now that you're all set, we can begin training. I'm assuming you read those books yesterday?"

Elsword glanced at Aisha, then went back to the sword. "Uh… yeah I read em."

Aisha sighed. "Alright then. Now let's see how hard it's going to be to train you." She stepped in front of him. "You already know that the human body is able to wield mana once accustomed to it. So in order to get you accustomed, you'll need to channel it." She assumed a relaxed position as she let her own mana flow throughout her body. She knew from experience that her body was emanating a purple glow that some would refer to as her aura. Elsword looked up from the blade for a minute in time to see her charging her mana. He shrugged

"Big deal, I can do that in Awakening mode, it's nothing tha-" He was cut off when Aisha quickly discharged a lightning bolt a foot in front of him.

"You were saying?" Aisha said as she returned to normal. "This is different from Awakening mode, Elsword. When you channel mana, you're practically channeling your every essence. It puts a whole new definition to the word 'alive'." She said as she reminisced to the time here teacher said the very same words. Elsword nodded a little.

"Hmph, alright I can do this then. Tell me what to do Sensei." He said eagerly. Aisha smiled. _At least he's enthusiastic. _

"Alright. First close your eyes and find your center, where all mana is stored within the body." She instructed. Elsword did as he was told. "Don't worry it usually takes a while to find your center. Some take years to even begin to find it. Now, if you have found it, imagine spreading the mana all over your body." Elsword scowled a little as he struggled to bring out his mana. Soon however he began to feel something, a warm tingling spreading through his body. Aisha's eyebrows raised in surprise. She hadn't expected Elsword to even channel his mana without it taking a few weeks, yet here he was, his aura spreading over him. She was so mesmerized by the sight, that it took her a while to warn him.

"Wait! Try to keep it close to your body, but not too close or it may put strain on it." Elsword clenched his fists as he strained to keep focus. Suddenly a small flash erupted as Elsword was sent back a few feet. Aisha wondered what had happened, but soon realized. "I told you not to keep it to contract. You're lucky you aren't injured."

Elsword shook his head as he stood up quickly. "Ugh, can't believe I blew it like that! C'mon Aisha, lemme try again!"

Aisha looked at Elsword in bewilderment. _He overloaded on his mana, and nearly blew himself to pieces, yet he shrugged it off as if it were nothing. Maybe I should take him there earlier than expected. _"No, you need to rest up and let everything I told you sink in. Besides, tomorrow we're going on a little field trip, and I'll need you at full strength." And with that, Aisha hurried out, leaving a frustrated Elsword behind.

* * *

**Me: Well that went well. **

**Raven and Aisha: ….**

**Elsword: Where are we going anyways Aisha?**

**Aisha: You'll see**

**Chung: All characters belong to Kill3r Combo. Read and review folks. **

**(A/N I dunno if I described the magic knight's promotional gear well enough. Lemme know in the reviews please. Till next time, peace.)**


	4. Chapter 4: Confussion

Elsword: Changes We Make

**Chapter 4: Confussion**

**Eve's POV**

Eve sat in her room, an open book in her hand, Oberon standing beside her with a silver platter of tea on it. It was another quiet afternoon, at least untill a loud bang came from another part of the house. Eve sighed as she placed the book down on a nearby table and motioned for Oberon to follow her. She walked towards the sound, into the garage to see Chung holding his head while on the ground. Eve walked over and stood over him.

"Might I as to why you are on the floor?" she asked with genuine curiosity.

Chung opened his eyes when he heard the voice and smiled a little when he saw who it was. "Oh, hey Eve. Sorry about the noise, I had a bit of a mishap." He said as the door opened. A pair of arms and legs was the only things visible behind the mass of boxes being carried. The boxes were placed down, and the face of Echo came into view.

"Kay Chung, here are those spare parts you asked for." She said as she turned around to see Eve standing over Chung, who got up and dusted himself off. Her head turned to the work table, which had Chung's cannon on it, as well as the burn marks of a small blast. She shook her head. "Geez, Chung I told you not to mess with the formula untill I came back." Chung smiled sheepishly.

"I know, sorry about that. I was just checking to make sure it was stable." He turned to the table. "Obviously that was a 'no'." Echo giggled a little.

"No worries. It shouldn't take too long to recreate the formula. C'mon let's get back to work."

"If I may interject," Eve said with slight annoyance in her voice, "what is it you two are working on? What is this formula?"

Chung smacked his forehead as the thought reoccurred to him. "That's right; I've been meaning to tell you guys, I've been working on this new design for Destroyer, as well as a new formula for the energy source." He gestured to a vial of blue glowing liquid. "I came up with the idea after I stumbled upon a few of my father's old notes. It's called Disfrozen. Pretty cool huh?" He said with obvious excitement in his voice.

Echo put a hand on his shoulder. "Easy now, we still have to actually finish it."

Eve's face turned to that of curiosity. "Exactly how long have you been working on this?" She said as she stared intently at the vial.

Chung stood next to her. "A few days now. It's a mixture of El energy and some metals that Echo discovered."

Echo sighed as she reminisced. "And to think, I only discovered it after a failed candy making machine experiment." She and Chung began laughing.

Eve glanced towards Chung, a new feeling rising as she saw the two of them laughing, mixture of annoyance and minor neglect, the feeling becoming more prominent as she remembered how Chung had said that they had been working on it for a few days. She closed her eyes and turned towards the door.

"Well, seeing as how you two are so busy, I'll let you both get back to work." And without even waiting for a response (or Oberon for that matter), she walked out, shutting the door behind her. She didn't stop untill she reached her room. She quickly locked it, leaving poor Oberon to have to climb through the window.

"Is everything alright Milady? You seemed rather upset back there." he said, concern in his voice.

Eve sighed as she sat back down in her chair. "Yes… yes I'm fine." _What was that, that odd feeling? _She said as she. She sighed a little. _These humans are having effects on me. Effects I do not understand. Effects I so far do not enjoy. I need a professional opinion on this. I must someone who can help me understand this. _With her mind made up, she got up and walked back towards the door. "Oberon, wait here. I have business to attend to."

"Y-yes Milady."

Eve closed the door behind her and walked towards the center of the house, hoping her targets would be found easily. She was in luck, as the one target was putting away some practice equipment, the other returning home, confusion etched on her face. The first target turned around and gave Eve what she had come to understand was a friendly smile.

"Oh, hey Eve. What's up?" Rena said as she finished putting away the two training blades. Eve quickly walked over to Rena grabbed her wrist, turning around and grabbing Aisha's hand.

"I am in need of your assistance, please do not ask questions." Eve said as she pulled the two towards her bedroom. Aisha turned to Rena, mouthing out the words, _"What's gotten into her?"_ Rena simply shrugged as she and Aisha were pulled into the room. Eve quickly looked towards Oberon. "Oberon, please wait outside. This conversation is somewhat confidential." Oberon nodded and walked outside. Eve quickly locked the door.

"Um… Eve, I know you said not to ask questions, but I'm curious. What is it that you need the two of us for?"

Eve faced the two. "Please allow me to explain."

**Fifteen minutes later…**

"… And so you see, I am now experiencing a sensation I am currently unaware of. This is why I have turned towards the two of you, seeing as how you two are the most experienced people I have encountered so far." Eve said turning back towards the other two girls. The two exchanged somewhat amused looks.

"So, let us see if we understand. You saw Chung and Echo acting so friendly towards each other…" Rena began, a smile quickly spreading over her face.

"… You felt on odd feeling spreading over you. How did you describe it again?" Aisha asked, even though she already knew where this was going.

"I felt anxious, confused, and somewhat vexed at the thought of the two spending so much time together. He didn't bring up his redesigning his weapons, or this new energy source he had discovered with us, his comrades and traveling companions, yet he has told this girl we have only had the pleasure of knowing for a month." Eve said as she paced annoyance prominent in her tone. Finally, neither Aisha nor Rena could contain themselves any longer and the two let out bursts of laughter. Eve stared at the two in confusion.

"I was unaware I had said anything amusing. If so, please enlighten me as to what I said." Rena managed to recompose herself and turned to the young Nasod.

"Eve don't you get it? You're jealous of how close Chung and Echo are." Eve tilted her head in genuine confusion.

"Jealousy? Insufficient data. Please explain." Aisha's laughter finally died down as she turned to explain everything to Eve.

"Eve, jealousy is basically feeling upset or insecure towards what somewhat else has. You basically want to be as close to Chung as Echo is."

"I fail to see how physical proximity falls into this equation. I do not care if Echo and Chung are two inches or twenty feet away from each other. How close or how far away Chung is from anyone is his business."

Rena shook her head. "No, Eve not that kind of close. When we say close, we mean emotionally. You wish that you two were better friends. Or possibly more…" Rena said a suggestive tone in her voice.

"What do you mean?" Eve said.

"Basically what I'm trying to suggest Eve is that-"

"You like Chung~ you like Chung~" Aisha said in a childish sing-song voice.

"Well, I wasn't exactly going to say it like that, but yeah basically." Rena concluded.

"Well of course I like Chung. It is for the good of the group. I try to have a high tolerance with everyone in the group to improve the effectiveness of teamwork within the group, despite his or her quirks. For instance, it took me several weeks to be able tolerate Elsword, and I am still struggling to tolerate Aisha at times." Eve concluded.

"Hey!" Aisha said, scowling.

Rena put a hand on Aisha's shoulder, trying to calm her down. "Relax Aisha. And Eve, I didn't mean 'like' as in like as a friend. I meant you _like _him like him." Eve still looked confused, when it suddenly dawned on her.

"Oh, you are implying that I have amorous feelings towards Chung due to my showing 'jealousy' as you two put it."

"Exactly." They said in unison.

"I deny this suggestion. My only feelings for Chung are that of friendship and concern. Any emotions beyond those two are improbable."

"Just something to think about Eve. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to rest, I've had a long day, and I need to rest." Aisha said as she walked out.

Rena followed behind her but turned to Eve and gave her a sympathetic smile. "Don't go denying these sort of things Eve. You may just come to like it." With that she winked and walked out the door. Eve sat back down and picked up her book again, with only one thing to say.

"Humans _and _elves are odd."

* * *

**Me: Eve's got a crush~ Eve's got a crush~**

**Eve: Oberon, GENOCIDE RIPPER!**

**Me: Crud *runs from Oberon***

**Elsword and Raven: We weren't even in this chapter…**

**Me: *still running* you'll be in the next one! *is hit by Oberon* EVE MAKE HIM STOP!**

**Eve: No. Read and review if you do not enjoy being cut to pieces mortals. **

**(A/N While I may have been attacked by Oberon, and am now having my arms reattached, I just wanted to explain something. The reason I made this chapter specifically about Chung and Eve is because the two have not exactly had prominent points in the story so far. I just made these first few chapters as sort of preludes as to what was going to go on for each pairing in the story. Don't worry, they'll be leaving Elder in the next chapter. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get my other arm sewn back on.) **


	5. Chapter 5: Odd man out

Elsword: Changes We Make

**Chapter 5: Odd Man Out**

**Elsword's POV**

Elsword knocked on Aisha's door at a rapid pace. He hadn't even eaten breakfast yet, yet he was buzzing with energy. Today was the day that Aisha was taking him somewhere where his training in magic was supposed to continue. Aisha wasn't specific on where they were going, which left Elsword more than a little anxious. He stood at the door for two minutes after knocking. No response. He knocked again, this time with a bit more urgency. Aisha opened the door, still in her pajamas, her hair still a mess.

"What?!" she said with an annoyed look. Elsword didn't even notice.

"C'mon today's the day you said you were taking to wherever the heck your taking me."

"Elsword, the sun isn't even up yet. How long have you been awake?" Aisha said with an exasperated tone. Elsword shrugged.

"I dunno, a few hours I think. C'mon, get dressed and let's go!" Elsword exclaimed.

"Elsword, no one is probably even the-" Aisha's eyes widened in fear, though fear of what he didn't know. That was, untill he turned around.

Rena was standing behind them, a deep scowl on her face. Aisha and Elsword trembled, the past experiences with Rena's anger being very unpleasant.

"Both of you, stop talking, go to sleep…" She said through gritted teeth. At first they hesitated untill Rena followed up. "NOW!" With that, Elsword raced back to his room, quickly locked it, and lay on his bed. One thought ran through his mind the whole time.

_Note to self: Rena, not a morning person._

**A few hours later…**

Elsword picked himself up out of bed, rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, and headed out to the main room. Aisha, Raven, Eve and Chung were already awake.

"Where's Rena?" Elsword asked cautiously, hoping she wasn't still angry.

"Right here~" The sound of Rena's voice caused Elsword to jump a little as she came out of her room behind him. "Good morning everyone. You all sleep well?"

Raven shrugged. Chung nodded. Aisha and Elsword tried to avoid Rena's gaze.

"I slept relatively well, though I do recall hearing someone shouting in the middle of the night." Eve said casually.

"Now that you mention it I heard it too." Raven said. Elsword and Aisha glanced towards Rena who seemed to have waved it off.

"Oh well, who knows what it was. So what are everyone's plans for the day?" Rena asked as she sat down next to Raven.

"I was hoping you and I could train later this afternoon." Raven suggested.

"I'm still training with Aisha." Elsword said as he found a seat between Chung and Eve.

"I'm still working on Destroyer with Echo." Chung said absentmindedly as he continued eating.

Elsword noticed Rena, Aisha and Eve exchange a glance for just the briefest of seconds. He had a feeling that they were hiding something from the rest of them; and it had to do with Eve and Echo. Elsword barely began to eat before Aisha stood up abruptly.

"Kay, Elsword time to go." She instructed.

"But I haven't finished eating. Heck, I haven't even started yet." He protested.

Aisha grabbed his arm and yanked him out of his seat. "Should've thought of that before you interrupted my sleep this morning then. Now let's go!"

The duo walked for about twenty minutes into town, Elsword constantly asking questions along the way.

"So what is this place we're going to anyways?"

"It's a sacred place where mages like have been training for centuries."

Elsword thought for a bit, and then asked another question.

"So that means you trained there."

Aisha held back a somewhat nostalgic sigh. "Yeah, I used to. It's where I met my master."

"Sooo… why are we going there, again?"

Aisha groaned. "Will you stop asking questions? You'll find out when we get there."

They walked another ten minutes in silence before reaching their destination. A bookstore. Elsword scratched his head in confusion. "OK, why are we here?"

"Didn't I tell you to stop asking questions? You'll see in a minute." The two walked to the back of the building, reaching a large shelf of books with symbols that Elsword felt had heard the name of before. Aisha muttered something, in a language he didn't understand. The shelf suddenly seemed to melt away, as if it were never there to begin with. Aisha walked inside, a dumbstruck Elsword behind her. They walked through a large hallway, before coming to a large a corridor. What Elsword say left him in awe.

A large outdoor open space with several other corridors leading to other parts of the area spanned before him. Several people, who Elsword assumed were mages, traversed through the open space, some chatting, laughing, and training. Smaller buildings dotted the area here and there, with people going in or out between them. Elsword tried to step forward, but was cut off by two staves crossing in front of him.

"What the…" Elsword looked to either side of him to see two menacing figures standing on either side. Both were at least a foot taller, and neither of them seemed terribly pleased to see him.

"I apologize young man, but I'm afraid that this is a place created for those who wish to train in the magic arts. Unless you have been summoned by our leader, we cannot allow you to pass." The one on the left said.

"Huh?"

"Basically, scram runt! This place don't serve your kind, savvy?" The one on the right said in a gruff tone of voice.

"Aeon, must you speak in such a gruff tone. You're going to frighten the poor lad." The man on the left said wearily.

The man on the right snorted. "He'd better be afraid if he knows what's good for him! This is a place where the best mages in Elrios come to train, and we ain't got time for street brats. You know that Gaius."

The man, or Gaius as he was evidently called, sighed. "Oh come now brother. Perhaps the child is lost, stumbled upon this place by accident, or maybe he does have business with the headmaster." Elsword sighed as the two began to argue. Aisha, who had already passed with no problem, turned to see what was going on.

"Oh, don't worry you two. He's with me." The brothers stopped their argument, eyes widening in horror then bowed low before Aisha, and spoke in unison.

"Terribly sorry Lady Aisha." They turned back to Elsword. "You may pass you man." Elsword walked between the two warily, wondering why the two seemed to act so scarred in front of Aisha.

"Sorry about Gaius and Aeon, Elsword. Those two take their job very seriously. But don't worry. Their nice once you get to know them." She thought it over and added, "Well, okay, maybe just Gaius."

"Ok, hold on a minute." Elsword said. "I'm not taking one more step untill I'm told just exactly where we are. A minute ago we were in some dusty old book store, and now we're in some weird mages sanctuary. Where are we?!"

Aisha gave him a calm look. "Oddly enough you got the name right. Welcome to the Mage's Sanctuary. Now c'mon, we have to get moving." Just before she could turn around though, Aisha was suddenly caught in a massive bear hug from behind. A girl in yellow lifted Aisha in the process of the hug, leaving Aisha barely breathing.

"Heeeeey, Aisha!" the girl said in excitement.

"Paige… you're… crushing my… lungs…" Aisha barely managed to say. The girl quickly let her go.

"Oops, sorry. Are you ok?"

Aisha coughed and gasped as she tried to catch her breath. "Yeah… I'm ok." She turned to Elsword. "Elsword, meet Paige, one of my friends who live here."

Paige extended an open hand. "The pleasure is mine." Elsword took her hand, though he was somewhat captivated by her. The girl had brown hair that was tied in one long braid, dazzling yellow eyes, and was about the same height as Aisha. The one thing that Elsword noticed that set her and Aisha apart was the chest size. Elsword almost had to struggle to keep his eyes on her face, which was easily captivating.

_She's like a brunette version of Rena. _He thought.

"So, Elsword, are you and Aisha traveling together or something?" Paige asked.

"Yeah, we're part of the EL search team from Ruben village."

Paige's eyes widened. "Wow, all the way from Ruben? That's miles away from here." She noticed the sword strapped to Elsword's back. "You're a swordsman?"

Elsword smirked a little. "Yep one of the best, if I do say so myself."

Aisha rolled her eyes. "Which you do. Constantly."

"Only because it's true." Elsword muttered.

"Well then, if you don't mind my asking, why'd you come here?"

"Well, I realized that have a bit of a weakness when it comes to fighting mages, which is why I asked Aisha if she could train me."

Paige put her hand on her chin in thought for a bit. "Soooo, does that mean that Aisha's your girlfriend or something?"

Elsword felt heat rushing to his face, and almost shouted, in unison with Aisha.

-"SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!"

-"HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!"

Paige laughed a little. "Ok, ok. Sorry I struck a nerve there. So I guess that means you'll be enrolling here. That's cool. Hope to see you around here often." And with that, Paige skipped off.

Aisha muttered under her breath, and then turned back to Elsword. "Sorry about that. Paige tends to be a bit air-headed. Anyways c'mon, there's someone else I need to introduce you to." The two began walking till they came upon a large building with two other guards standing at the doors. They both nodded towards Aisha.

"Welcome back Lady Aisha. The headmaster is in a bit of a bad mood, so do be careful." The man on the left said.

"Don't worry; I'll take care of it." Aisha said as she gestured for Elsword to follow behind her.

They walked down a long hallway untill they came up on a pair of large double doors. Aisha knocked and without waiting for a response, walked in. The moment they entered, they were met with a loud commanding voice.

"Who told you to interrupt me when I'm the middle of my meditation?!" The voice said. Elsword noticed that the voice belonged to a girl sitting in the back of the room, her back to them. The girl wore heavy looking armor and carried a staff the appeared similar to Aisha's.

"As a matter of fact, mom always told me to if you were taking too long to come down for diner." Aisha said a hint of humor in her voice. The girl turned around and her expression brightened when she saw who it was. She let out a squeal of delight.

"Aisha!" The girl embraced Aisha in a hug similar to that of which she got ten minutes ago from Paige. "OH, how are you little sis?"

"Well… since you asked… I'm beginning to hate being hugged!" Aisha said as she struggled out of the girls grasp.

"Can I help it if my little sister never stops by to visit?" The girl said as she let Aisha go. She turned to Elsword in general surprise.

"Who's this Aisha? A friend of yours?"

Aisha nodded. "Yep, this is Elsword. Elsword, this is my older sister Noah."

"Sister?!"

"Wait did you say Elsword?" When Aisha nodded, the girl put a hand in front of her face. "Ooooh, little Elsword's all grown up!" She said as she suddenly put a hand on Elsword's shoulder. "You probably don't remember me, but I'm friends with Elsa." Elsword's eyes widened.

"You… you knew my sister?"

"Knew her? Your sister is one of my best friends. She was probably one of the few people who could ever beat me in a fight. She even saved my life once. Oh memories, sweet memories." The girl suddenly regained her composure. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Noah, member of the Velder Elite Guard. It's great to see you again Elsword." Elsword shook her hand, though he still felt stuck on the fact that this girl knew his sister.

"Um… Noah? Not to interrupt your whole nostalgia moment, but I'm here for more than just a visit."

"Hmm? What is it, little sister?"

Aisha sighed. "For one thing, you could stop calling me 'little sister'. But since I don't see that happening in the foreseeable future, I guess I may as well get to the point. I've come to ask if I may be allowed to take on a student."

Noah's eyes widened in surprise. "A student? You? I've been trying to get you to train someone for years now?" she said incredulously. She thought it over for a second, and then shrugged. "O.k. Done. Now who is it?"

Aisha pointed at Elsword. "I'd like to take on Elsword as my student for the time being."

Noah's expression went from that of curiosity to shock. "Him?! How come? I mean, not that I don't think he couldn't do it. It's just… doesn't he come from a family of swordsmen?"

Elsword stepped forward. "Even if I am, I felt it was time for a bit of a change. I'm still going to be the world's greatest swordsmen; I just feel it wouldn't hurt to learn how to use magic. Y'know as a precaution." Noah closed her eyes in thought, as Elsword felt worry running through his mind. _Say yes, say yes, say yes, say yes…_

Finally, Noah shrugged. "Ok. Anything for my best friend's little brother." Elsword pumped his fist in triumph.

"Yes! Thank you! You will not regret this!" Noah laughed a little.

"Don't thank me yet. You may not just know what you're getting into."

**Meanwhile, elsewhere…**

**Raven POV**

"… Remind me again, where are we going?" Raven asked.

"I told you, I need to find out where the leader plans on sending me next. Besides if you and I are going to be training, you'll need to know just how the Night Savers fight."

"… Sooo, you're just going to take me to one of their secret outposts, without worrying that this may transgress some rule?" Rena stopped and turned around.

"Nope, which is why I'm going to need you to where this." She said as she pulled out a blindfold. Raven tied it over his eyes obediently, still a bit confused. Rena grabbed his hand, and guided him untill the stopped. Rena got behind Raven and promptly shoved him foreword.

"What the-"Raven suddenly felt himself falling foreword, only to come in contact with a smooth surface. He felt himself sliding for about five minutes, before falling on his face. He heard someone land next to him, and got up.

"You can take the blindfold off now. We're here." Raven removed the blindfold, and was met with an awe-inspiring sight. Elves, some in front of archery ranges, others in a practice square, clashing swords against each other. For a bunch of elves, they were surprisingly deadly with a blade in their hands.

"Right this way." The two walked in relative silence, though it didn't appear to be just them. Every person they passed stopped what they were doing and stared at the duo. Some of them were glaring, others stood with fear in their eyes. Finally one stepped forward.

"Rena! Don't you know who you've brought here?! That's Raven of the Crow Mercenaries."

"I'm well aware of who he is, and what he has done. But Raven's changed now, for the better. He's helping me and my friends search for the missing El." Rena said defensively.

"He's killed countless people!" another voice from the crowd said.

"He's a murderer!"

Raven grimaced as the insults flew at him, the experience feeling all too familiar. It was just what had happened when he was framed all those years ago for the murder of a nobleman in Velder.

"What? Nothing to say killer?" The first elf sneered. He stepped in front of Raven, a prideful look on his face. Raven addressed him coolly.

"None that are too pleasant at the time."

The elf glared at Raven as he stepped a bit closer. "Let me explain something to you. That fool Rena may trust you, as do those other fools who are traveling with you. But none of us here do."

Raven shrugged. "Good for you. Got a reason for me to care?"

The elf growled, drawing his blade and swinging angrily at Raven. Raven barely tried as he used his Nasod arm to block the attack. The blade clanged, barely feeling anything as the blade snapped in half on contact with the Nasodian metal. The elf's eyes widened.

"Why you…" He drew a second blade and tried to uppercut Raven. He stepped back, throwing his assailant off balance. "Heh, what? Not gonna use that piece of tin you call an arm."

"Just didn't want to embarrass you any further." Rena stepped between them.

"Alright Cyrus, that's enough. You've made your point. Stop this now befo-"

"Stay out of this! You have no right to speak, bringing this filthy mercenary into one of our sacred outposts." He snapped. Raven felt a twinge of rage rush through him as the elf called Cyrus spoke to Rena as if her were her better.

"Y'know, I was about to let you off the hook" Raven said as he rushed forward. "Then you called my friends fools" Raven felt a burst of energy rush through his Nasod arm as he landed a punch into the elf's abdomen, sending him several feet back. He hit the floor, only to get up a small spurt of blood as he rushed towards Raven.

"You insolent…!" He tried to go for an overhead slash, only for his blade to come into contact from another that appeared to come from nowhere. Raven looked in front of him to see another elf standing in front of him. He didn't look like the average elf, his red hair a stark contrast from that of the usual blonde he was use to seeing when it came to Rena.

"Cyrus that is enough." The elf said in a commanding tone. "You know better than to raise a blade towards the innocent." Cyrus withdrew the blade as he regarded the leader.

"Commander Aaron, the only innocence this lowlife carries with him is the blood of the innocent he slaughtered."

"That was a long time ago." Raven said as he stepped forward. Cyrus stepped back a few feet. "I am not the man I used to be, though if you dare to insult my friends again, I may just slip back into that mindset."

"That is enough of that. Cyrus, you are relieved of your duties for the day. You are dismissed." Cyrus opened his mouth in an attempt to respond, but simply glared at Rena and Raven as he walked away.

"Do not think this is over." He said menacingly.

Aaron watched him leave and shook his head. "Wish he wasn't so serious all the time." Aaron turned back to those who were watching the whole thing unfold. "As of now, this man is to not be attacked. If Rena trusts him then I believe we should give him a chance." Raven almost let a smile slip as he heard the man speak. It had been a while since people other than his friends had come to his defense. Every one turned away and returned to what they were doing. Aaron turned back to Rena and Raven. "Sorry about that you two. Cyrus tends to take his job a bit seriously."

"It's ok sir. Cyrus, if anything, deserved worse." Rena responded.

"Well it is in the past now. I do not believe I have introduced myself Raven of the Crow Mercenaries. I am Aaron, leader of this outpost. It is an honor to meet you. Rena has spoken highly of you to anyone who listens." Raven took the man's hand in a firm handshake.

"Pleasure's mine."

"Leader, we've completed our business in Elder. We have discovered that Wally, the former reigning lord of the area was conspiring with the bandit Banthus, in an attempt to use Nasodian technology to take other parts of the region by force. He has fled to Bethma. Permission to follow?"

"Granted. Thank you for this update Rena. It's good to have someone getting this close to the heat of battle. I look forward to hearing about what you find. Dismissed." Without another word, the man left.

Rena and Raven walked out towards the forest, on the road back to Elder.

"Looks like we're going to Bethma next." Rena said.

"Yeah… hey listen" Raven said somewhat edgily. "Thanks for stickin up for me back there. I know it was a little hard considering the things I've done." Rena gave him a sympathetic smile.

"No worries Raven. We're friends and that's what friends do for each other. Besides, you and I both know you changed by know. Don't let it get to you." Raven finally relented to his softer side and smiled a little. Rena giggled a little. "You know, that's one of the few times I've ever seen you smile. You always look really handsome when you do." Raven felt heat rising towards his face.

"T-thanks." He said, cursing himself inwardly for stuttering. Rena started giggle a little more.

"You look especially cute when you're blushing." She said playfully.

Raven growled a little, and started walking faster, trying to end the conversation there. Rena just laughed to herself as the sight of Raven became smaller and smaller.

**Me: XD, what was up with near the end Raven? Nervous much?**

**Raven: S-s-shut up!**

**Rena: You do look cute when you smile Raven**

**Raven: Don't encourage him **

**Me: Man this was long. **

**Elsword: Tell me about it**

**Aisha: Read and review everyone~**

**(A/N For those who don't know, yes Noah is her actual name. She's an in-game NPC. Since she looks so similar to Aisha, I figured I'd make them siblings. As for the reason that the chapter is so long, well I figured you all sorta deserved it. … That and I just wanted to get all of this in. I'll do my best to get some more chapters out. Till then, ciao."**


	6. Chapter 6: Discoveries

'Elsword: Changes We Make

**Chapter 6: Discoveries**

**Eve POV**

It was around noon when Rena asked Eve to go find Chung, who had gone off to go find food. The El Gang were on their way to Bethma, but had to stop along the way due to the approaching night. Eve scowled as she swatted away another mosquito.

_He'd better have a good reason for forcing them to have to send me to look for him. _Eve thought to herself. Looking back, Rena did seem as though she had thought about it before she asked Eve to go find Chung. After a while of walking, she heard someone groaning.

"Crud, guess it's been a while since I put together a trap…" She heard the voice say. Eve looked behind a tree to see a blonde boy hanging upside-down from his leg, which was caught in noose. It took her a while to realize that the boy was Chung.

She walked towards Chung, whose expression brightened when he saw who it was.

"Hey Eve."

"Why are you hanging upside-down?" Eve asked.

Chung gestured towards the noose. "Oh this? You know me, just 'hanging around'." Chung said in a joking tone.

"I am assuming that was an attempt at humor." She said as Chung nodded. She shrugged. "I do not get it." Chung sighed a little and reached at the noose.

"Uh, Eve? I've kinda been hanging here for the past half an hour. And all my blood is beginning to rush to my head. Do you think you could cut me do-!" Chung was cut off; literally cut off from the branch he was hanging from. Oberon caught him and placed him on his feet.

"Done." Eve said as she turned to walk away. Chung walked along side her.

"Uh… thanks."

"It was no problem." Eve replied. They walked in silence before she continued. "If I may inquire, why were you hanging from that noose?"

Chung put a hand behind his head sheepishly. "Promise you won't tell?" Eve nodded. "I was trying to use this old hunting technique my father showed me. He used to use it when we went hunting all the time."

"I am assuming your father was some sort of high standing citizen in Hamel?" Chung froze up a little.

"H-how did you-"

"Your bearing and somewhat regal and kind manner when I first met you, coupled with the quality of your armor. I just assumed that you and your father carried some sort of noble bearing in the Hamel kingdom. I apologize if said information is incorrect or a sensitive subject."

Chung sighed. "No, no, it's ok. Guess I can't keep running from it. I guess I should explain. My family, the Seiker, are the royal protectors of Hamel. We're supposed to keep the kingdom safe from any danger. So when Hamel was corrupted and taken over, it sort of felt like I failed. So I promised myself I wouldn't use my actual name until I freed Hamel and my father."

Eve looked at Chung, finding a new type of respect for him. She grabbed his arm. "If it is any consolation, I believe I can relate to your plight."

"That's right. I forgot, you've had to fight against your own people. Must've been hard."

"If it means I am able to liberate the Nasod kingdom and return it to its former glory, as well as achieve peace between humans and Nasods, I am willing to fight." Eve said solemnly.

Chung stopped and turned to Eve. "In that case, I promise to never stop fighting until both of our kingdom's are free."

Eve looked at Chung in confussion. "Do now trouble yourself. The problems of my kingdom are mine to bear alone." Chung shook his head.

"No way. You're my friend Eve, and that's what friends do." Before Eve could object, Chung bowed slightly. "From here on out, I Chung Seiker, promise to never cease fighting untill both Hamel and the Nasodian Kingdoms are free."

Eve stared at Chung, still confused by this gesture, but was grateful nonetheless. "I still do not believe that it is necessary for you to trouble yourself in such a way." She paused for a minute then relented, and bowed herself. "But for what it is worth, I, Eve, Queen of the Nasodian Kingdom, vow to never cease fighting until Hamel and the Nasodian Kingdom's are free and at peace with each other."

Chung looked up and smiled at Eve. "Thanks. I hope that one day, we'll be able to hold up on the promises we made."

* * *

**Elsword POV**

"Alright, today we're going to determine exactly what element you'll be specializing in." Aisha said as she stood in front of Elsword, who was sitting on a nearby log. She reached into a bag and tossed something at Elsword. He caught it and looked to see it was an unrefined El Shard.

"What the heck am I supposed to do with this?" Elsword asked.

"You're going to refine that El shard yourself, using nothing but your mana." Aisha instructed. Over the last few days, Elsword focused mostly on training in controlling his mana. Where at first he could hardly keep it up for more than a few seconds, he was now skilled enough to keep his aura up almost as long as Aisha. Granted he still felt fatigue, but it was becoming easier to ignore over time.

"And how will that help me determine what element I'm going to be able to wield." Elsword asked, still studying the shard in his hand.

Aisha pulled another shard out. "Watch and learn." Elsword watched as she began to channel her aura around her. The shard began to flash and it suddenly manifested into a Wind Element shard.

Elsword's eyes opened wider in shock. "What the… how did you do that?"

Aisha smirked. "Each mana has a different elemental aspect to it. Using a Shard refiner holds a small amount of a mages power in them, allowing that shard's element to be revealed. However, the difference between doing it the way I did and using a refiner is… this way is just a little bit cheaper. Now, your assignment is to discover which element you're most likely to wield in battle. Whichever element it becomes shows what element you'd be better off using."

Elsword put a hand to his chin in thought. " So wait, that means you can use wind? But how are you able to use all those other elements in battle?"

"I've been training in multi-elemental combat since I was old enough to talk. I'm just a bit more proficient in wind."

" Well I don't have time to train in using different elements. Alright, let's do this!" Elsword held the shard in his hand and held his breath as he focused his mana into the shard.

"Don't try to force it. Let it flow from your body." Aisha instructed. Elsword complied and relaxed as he felt his mana move faster. Suddenly he felt small recoil.

"What the…"

"I forgot to mention, it takes a while to actually channel your mana into other objects, especially those with a higher magic property like El shards. Just stay focused and keep trying." Aisha said a hint of encouragement in her voice.

Elsword nodded and continued to try to shift his mana through the shard. Three hours later he was on the floor panting. Aisha sighed a little and walked towards him.

"Maybe we should take a break." She said helping him up. Elsword glared a little at the shard.

"I don't get what I'm doing wrong. Aisha show me how you did it!" Elsword demanded.

"'Aisha show me how do that…?'" She said expectantly. Elsword's expression went blank. Aisha rolled her eyes and took out another shard she was carrying. This time it came out a light shard.

"I don't get it. I keep trying to transfer my mana into it, but it just doesn't move!" Elsword said in frustration.

Aisha put a hand to her chin, when an idea came to her. She walked over and grabbed one of Elsword's hands.

"What the heck are you-?!" Elsword exclaimed trying to pull his hand away. Aisha tightened her grip a little.

"Relax. Just trust me, o.k.? Try to channel your mana again." Aisha instructed. Elsword was about to open his mouth in protest when she held her other hand up. "Rule #2." She said curtly. Elsword rolled his eyes and complied. A red aura began to surround him. Aisha took that as her cue. She began to channel her own mana into Elsword. Elsword felt the shift in power but kept channeling his mana. The shard began to glow as a red-violet aura began to emanate from it. The shard suddenly changed shape in Elsword's hand and he peeked a little to see what it was. Red. A fire El shard.

Aisha opened her eyes and smiled a little. "Glad to see that still works." Elsword looked at her in confussion, obviously waiting for an explanation. "Your control over your mana is still pretty weak. I remembered a technique my master taught me when I began my training." Elsword smiled a little but then grimaced.

"But wait, that would mean I'd need your help to do stuff like this again." He said, a look of disappointment etched on his face. Aisha tried to cheer him up.

"This is why you need to practice. We'll keep working on this untill you manage to do this on your own." Elsword's expression picked up a little again.

"Alright, sounds like a plan to me."

"Great then we'll keep working on it." Aisha replied cheerfully. Elsword smirked but then assumed a look of minor confussion.

"Uh, that's great and all, but Aisha? Why are you still holding my hand?" Aisha looked down towards her outstretched hand and her eyes widened in embarrassment at the sight of her and Elsword's hands still conjoined. She quickly let go and turned away, a hot flush spreading over her face.

"I-it was just to help you channel your mana easier." She stuttered.

"But then why did you hold my hand for so long?"

"No reason! Look you found which element you're good at, so that's all that counts. We'll continue this lesson tomorrow." And without even waiting for Elsword to respond, Aisha stormed off her blush deepening a little. Elsword stayed behind and stared at her retreating figure, with only one thing to say.

"What the heck was that about?"

* * *

**Eve's POV**

Eve walked sleepily back towards the girl's tent, the day coming close to the end. She turned the corner to see that another tent was pitched, noise emanating from it. She poked her head inside to see Chung hunched over his cannon, barely paying attention to the sound of footsteps behind him.

"Chung, it is beginning to get late. Do you not think now would be a good time to retire for the evening?" Chung turned around to the voice and yawned a little.

"Don't worry Eve, I'll be fine. I just need a few more minutes to do a quick check up."

"Chung, staying up any further will affect your capabilities in battle the following day, as well as deterioration on your health. I must insist that you rest." Eve said somewhat firmly. Chung yawned again.

"Now that you mention it, I am… feeling… a little…. ZZZ….." Chung suddenly slumped forward, his eyes closing as he drifted off to sleep. Eve stared at him for a little while, fascination in her expression. How a boy who had come from somewhat high upbringings became the now brave and yet gentle boy in front of her now was beyond her. _Humans; what odd yet interesting creatures._ Eve thought intently. Suddenly another thought came to her. "Perhaps it would be best if I moved him out of this tent. Oberon!"

The android was in front of her in a flash. "Yes milady."

"Please carry Chung back to his room. When you have, put this tent back." Eve instructed.

"Yes milady." Eve tucked Chung in when they returned to the boy's tent. Raven and Elsword were already asleep, prompting strict silence. As Eve crept out of the tent she turned back towards the blonde figure in the sleeping back furthest away from her.

"Sweet dreams, Chung Seiker…" She whispered before retreating back to the other tent.

* * *

**(A/N Sorry that took so long to come out. This chapter wasn't even that long, but it took me three weeks to finish just because my schedule has been so jam packed. I'll try to update as frequently as possible. In the mean time you folks out there lemme know some of the pairings noted in the description that you're hoping to see in the next chapter, and I'll see what I can do. Till then ciao)**


	7. Chapter 7: Dreams

Elsword: Changes We Make

**Chapter 7: Dreams **

**Elsword POV**

The sun was setting over the clearing. Elsword stood in the center focusing his mana into the shard in his hand, Aisha standing behind him intently watching his progress. The shard began to glow intensely, and soon another fire shard was in Elsword's hand.

"You're getting better. This is the third time you've managed to refine a shard on your own." Aisha said proudly. Elsword stared at his left hand in curiosity.

"Is my arm supposed to feel all tingly?" Elsword asked a hint of concern in his voice.

"That's just the mana focusing into your left hand. Since you use your right hand to wield your sword, the mana needed to find another part of your body to channel itself through. It happens with most magic swordsmen." Aisha explained. Elsword looked at his arm again and clenched his fist, his mind focused on the reason for training in magic to begin with.

_Just coming one step closer to catching up with sis. _He thought intently.

"… Elsword? Elsword!" Aisha yelled. Elsword's head jerked up as his train of thought escaped him.

"What?" He asked impatiently.

"I was just saying that sooner or later we're going to actually have to focus on your training in emitting your mana. But for now, we should head back before it gets dark." Aisha said.

* * *

**Aisha POV**

After dinner, Aisha was the first to enter the girl's tent, followed by Eve and finally Rena.

"So, you and Elsword seem to be getting along a better lately." Rena commented as she laid out her sleeping bag.

"Yeah, I guess so. He's not as annoying as I thought he was once we started hanging around each other as much." Aisha said thoughtfully.

"Hmm… interesting." Rena purred playfully. Aisha gave her a flat look.

"What?"

"Hmm? Oh nothing. Just thinking." Rena said innocently.

"Thinking about what?"

"If I may interject." Eve said. "I believe Rena is trying to imply that due to the fact that since you and Elsword seem to be able to cooperate better lately, that you will finally succumb to your latent amorous feelings towards Elsword." Aisha felt a warm flush spread over her face.

"I-I do not have latent amorous for that red headed idiot!" Aisha exclaimed. Rena giggled a little.

"I dunno~. They say the more lovers' quarrel, the closer they become~." Rena said matter-of-factly.

"Who says that?!" Aisha asked incredulously.

Rena shrugged. "That doesn't matter. The point is that you need to tell Elsword how you feel about him. Otherwise it'll eat away at you, and you might just regret it for the rest of your life."

Aisha sighed. "Listen to me Rena. There is a better chance of William Phoru getting together with Eve, than me admitting I had any feelings towards Elsword, not that I have any at all. End of discussion!" And with that Aisha flopped onto her bed and turned away.

Rena sighed a little. "Alright then Aisha, have it your way. Just making a suggestion."

As the three girls drifted off to sleep, Aisha lay awake, the conversation she had with Rena still running through her mind.

_I'll admit, maybe there's a chance that Elsword and I might become friends. But that's all we'll be; friends. Just friends. _As she continued to think, she heard the sound of someone grunting outside. She peeked outside of the tent to see Elsword swinging a wooden practice sword. She stood there for a few minutes, not only impressed by how long he was willing to train, but also somewhat enraptured by the sight. She wouldn't say it out loud, but Elsword looked awe inspiring. The way he held his sword, the sight of his muscles flexing, the way his hair blew in the wind as he stood facing the moon…

_What the heck am I thinking?! This is Elsword! The same hot headed, immature, kid I've been traveling with and training with for months. He's never looked attractive before. But when I was staring at him, he looked so… hot! _Aisha's eyes widened, and a warm feeling spread over her face as the thought hit her. She shook her head and returned to her sleeping bag. _I do not have feelings for Elsword! I don't!_

* * *

Aisha opened her eyes and picked herself out of bed. Bed? _Wasn't I just in a sleeping bag in the middle of the forest in a tent?_ Aisha looked down to see that she was in a white over coat with a black and purple turtle neck, with black thigh high stockings and white and purple shoes.

"Oh no, not this again…" Aisha groaned. The last time she'd entered this kind of dream, she saw two sides of her friends. And some of those sides were better left unseen.

Aisha looked in a mirror. Something that stuck from the last dream that felt really disappointing was the fact she still looked… under-developed. While they'd grown a little, they weren't Rena sized. They weren't as small as they used to be, but she still felt she hadn't made any progress.

"Well, I guess that's one thing that hasn't changed. Now the question is, where am I?" She looked around to find that she was a rather plain bedroom with bookshelf containing a plethora of tomes. She walked to the door, hesitant, but willing to face whatever horrors awaited her on the other side. She threw the door open to see a living room and dining room nearby. She closed the door behind her to hear someone out back. The voice sounded familiar, but she didn't want to believe it. She peeked out of the back door and gasped a little at what she saw. Elsword stood with a sword in his hand. That wasn't what had surprised her. What surprised her was how he looked. He still wore the same half shirt she'd given him when they began his training. Now he wore all white leather guards over his all black trousers. A loose belt hung from his hip and she noticed several straps hanging from the pommel of the sword. Elsword turned around as he heard the small voice gasp. He smiled when he saw who it was.

"Good morning Sleeping Beauty." He said cheerfully as she stepped outside, shaking slightly. "Glad to see your up. I was afraid your were gonna sleep all morning." He said as he took her hand gently. "C'mon, it's almost sunrise." And with that he led her to a hill overlooking what Aisha had finally realized was Ruben village. A large tree sat on the hill with Elsword resting against it.

"What are you waiting for a written invitation? C'mon." He said as he patted down on a spot next to him. Aisha sat down slowly, still not even fully sure about what was going on. Elsword gave her a concerned look.

"Hey are you alright? You haven't said anything all morning."

Aisha was barely able to look him in the eye, those two big, crimson, caring eyes. "I-I'm fine." She squeaked. Elsword still gave her a worried look, prompting her to focus on anything else, in this case the rising sun. "This sunrise sure is pretty."

"Not as pretty as you." Aisha's face went beat red the moment Elsword said that. She heard him giggle a little, and she gave him a somewhat annoyed look. "What? What's so funny?"

"You look so cute when you blush." Aisha felt her face get warmer and Elsword smiled again. "See, adorable."

"Stop it." She said turning away a little.

Elsword laughed a little. "Sorry, it just feels as if I don't tell you enough how much you mean to me as often as I should." He paused for a minute. "… Or that I love you…" Aisha's heart practically jumped into her throat.

"E-e-e-elsword?" She stuttered. She turned around to see Elsword only a few feet away. What scarred her even more was the fact that she inched closer and closer toward him. She felt his warm hand hold hers and she didn't want to let go. They were only centimeters away from each other, when suddenly she felt herself shaking and heard someone calling her name.

"… Aisha. AISHA!" Aisha woke with a start and looked around to see Rena kneeling next to her. She was back in the tent. Away from the dream. Rena gave her a worried look. "Are you ok? You kept mumbling in your sleep." Aisha sighed a little and turned to her friend.

"Yeah… yeah I'm fine. Just had a weird dream that's all." Rena gave her a skeptic look, but shrugged.

"Alright get dressed, we're getting close to Bethma." Aisha got dressed and stepped outside to see everyone but Elsword packing up. As a matter of fact, Elsword was nowhere to be seen.

"Aisha, could you go wake up Elsword, he was up last night training again." Chung asked as he packed away a few tools. Aisha nodded and walked into the boy's tent. She looked at Elsword and wondered if the same red headed knight before her was going to become the same guy from her dream. She pushed that to the back of her mind as she shook Elsword gently.

"Elsword… Elsword wake up." She said quietly. Elsword opened his eyes slowly. Then his eyes flooded with recognition.

"Oh, hey Aisha. What's up?"

"We're all getting ready to go, Bethma is just a few miles away." She said. Elsword picked himself out of bed.

"Alright" He said with a yawn. He turned to her. "Y'know, it's weird. I had this crazy dream last night."

"What was it about?" Aisha asked, her own dream still lingering in her mind.

"I don't remember much, but I do remember you being there and the two of watching the sunrise or something like that. Then it sort of branched off into a dream about Harmony Festival foods. I dunno, like I said it was weird." Aisha froze up as Elsword passed her on the way out. "Sounds crazy I know, hard to believe it."

"Heh, yeah… weird." She said as what Elsword said dawned on her. _Elsword had the same dream as me? But how? And what did it mean?_

**Me: Sweet mercy its been a while. **

**Raven: I'll say… **

**Me: Good to be back though…**

**Aisha: *despondent***

**Elsword: What's with you?**

**Me: She just had a weird dream.**

**Elsword: Oh? What was it about?**

**Aisha: NOTHING! Read and review!**

**(A/n Man its been a while. That was probably the cheesiest thing I've written so far. The romance part anyway. Yeah I decided to include Aisha's dream world. Did that dream mean something? Will it come true? Will Raven be the focus of the next chapter? (Yes) Why am I asking you these questions? I dunno. Find out in the next chapter. I own none of these characters. If I did, this would probably be in the game. )**


	8. Chapter 8: Bath house blues

Elsword: Changes We Make

**Chapter 8. Bathhouse Blues**

**Raven's POV**

Raven sighed as he and his companions reached the city entrance to Bethma.

"Finally" Aisha sighed "Let's hurry up and find an inn. I can't wait to sleep in an actual bed again."

"And I'm starving!" Elsword exclaimed. The two started to race for a nearby inn, only to be held back by a pair of hands.

"Hold on you two, remember why we're here." Rena said as she struggled to rein Elsword in.

"But I'm STAAAARVING!" He cried out. He put a hand to his forehead dramatically and fell to the dust his tongue sticking out. Raven rolled his eyes as he walked past Elsword's semi-unmoving body.

"C'mon, let's go find the village chief. They may have some information as to where Wally is." Rena instructed. The others followed, though Elsword was somewhat annoyed at the thought of a delayed dinner.

"Excuse me." Rena said politely as she walked up to a hooded figure in a nearby shack. The figure turned to them.

"May I help you?"

"We're a part of the El search party from Ruben village. We've been sent by Chief Hagus to apprehend the corrupt king Wally. We were wondering if you could direct us to our chief." The tall figure pulled off the hood, and the surprise (and or shock) of the group.

A large, deep red lizard with a tan coloring that seemed to drift under his robe. "I see. So you are the group of travelers we were told were going to come. Glad to see you've arrived safely."

"Who the… what the… What are you?" Elsword asked incredulously, his hand instinctively going to his sword.

"Elsword calm down." Rena instructed as she turned back to the lizard. "I'm assuming your one of the lizardmen who is indigenous to the area."

The lizard bowed slightly. "Smart girl. I am Cha-cha Buch. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He turned to Elsword and smiled. "Are you going to stand in that position all day young man? Believe me, there are those here who are a faster draw, who would not hesitate to strike if need be." Elsword's eyes widened a little, but took his hand away from the handle of his sword. Buch laughed. "Perhaps now would be a good time to introduce you to our chief, Stella." The lizard walked off, the group following behind him. Soon they came up to an official looking building in the center of town. Buch faced the group. "Now be warned, our sheriff is one to be reckoned. Men have been known to flee from this office screaming."

"I'm sure we can handle it." Elsword said confidently.

"Famous last words." Buch said as he threw the door open. At the other end of the room a woman was sitting at a desk. She had dark grey hair, and wore a brown leather dress. The look in her eye even maid Raven a little nervous.

"What is it Buch? I'm busy." The woman said. She turned to the group of adventurers behind him. "Who are these green horns?" Buch smirked a little.

"My friends, this is Stella, sheriff of Bethma. Stella this is the El Search Party we've been told about."

"El Search Party?" Stella walked over and eyed the group carefully. "You're tellin me these are the folks who are supposed to find the missing El from Ruben and supposedly safe Elrios?" When Buch nodded, she laughed a little. "You're kidding right?"

Buch shook his head politely. "No, I'm serious. This is the group of adventurers sent to help us."

Stella looked at the group again. "Huh… Sorry for laughing folks. It's just, I'm always hearing some idiot outside going on about how he's gonna protect the town. And every time, they either run, or get themselves killed. So when I saw the six of you, I wasn't expecting much. Specially from that red-headed kid."

"HEY!" Elsword exclaimed. "I could totally hold my own against whatever this town has to throw at me."

"Sure, sure. What are you like ten, twelve?"

"I'm fifteen!"

"And you expect me to believe that you're some sort of great swordsman?" Stella asked, a hint of mocking in her voice.

"I'm one of the best swordsmen of the Red Knights! I even took on Banthus!" Stella's eyes widened a little, though she still didn't seem that impressed.

"Hmph, whatever you say kid. Now, which one of you is supposed to be Rena? I was told she was the one I'm supposed to talk to."

"That's me ma'am." Rena said as she stepped forward cautiously.

Stella looked at Rena, a look of skeptics on her face. "Huh, nice rack blondie."

Rena's eyes widened, her face reddened, and she subconsciously put her folded her hands and covered her chest. "U-um thanks?"

"Alright, follow me. In the mean time, Buch, take these folks to their lodgings." Stella said as she and Rena left the building.

Buch snickered a little as the two left. "Your friend may be in trouble. Hopefully Stella will take it easy on her. In the mean time, come with me. I'll show you to you abode for your time here.

* * *

"Can you believe the nerve of that old lady!?" Elsword exclaimed as he plopped onto the couch, scowling. The sun began to set over Bethma.

Raven sighed. "Yes, Elsword we know. You've been griping about it since we got here."

"I know I know… It's just infuriating to think that someone else thinks I'm a joke." Elsword groaned.

"Which is usually what motivates you to prove the person wrong, and then work yourself to the brink of insanity or death in order to prove said person wrong? You've done it before, and you'll most likely do it again." Chung said knowingly.

"Darn straight." Elsword said as he hopped and reached for his sword. Suddenly another hand took out of his reach.

"Hold up a sec slugger." Aisha said as she proceeded to hold to sword behind her back.

"Hey! Give that back!" Elsword said as he chased Aisha as he proceeded to unsuccessfully retrieve his sword from Aisha.

"Ah, ah, ah. Rule #2. Just here me out." Aisha instructed. Without even waiting for a response, she continued. "It has come to my attention that you lack any form of long range offense."

Elsword gave her a dull look. "Well duh. I've been fighting as a swordsman for all this years, what'd you expect."

"Never the less, since you're now training to use magic, sooner or later, you're going to have to learn how to emit your mana in offensive forms. Which is where your training is headed next."

"What are you-"

Aisha held a hand up. "We're going to start your training in outer manifestation and emission of your mana."

Elsword's eyes widened and a smirk spread over his face. "Seriously? When?"

"Right now if you're not too tired." Aisha said, now uplifted by his enthusiasm.

"Alright, let's do it!" Just at that moment, Rena came in through the door.

"How was it?" Raven asked, not necessarily looking up from his book.

Rena played with her fingers for a bit. "Oh, it went well. We went to a tavern and she gave me the details of our next assignment."

"And what might those be?" Eve asked.

"Apparently, the Lizard men in the area have been acting more aggressive than usual. And as it turns out, Wally has been spotted in the local mines. The aggression coming from the Lizard men is most likely his doing." Rena instructed.

"And that's where we come in." Raven said now paying attention.

"Right." Rena said. Suddenly she flashed one of her trademark smiles. "On a lighter note, we've been invited to use the local bath house free of charge during our time here."

"Wait, bath house?" Elsword said eagerly. When Rena nodded, he became ecstatic. "What the heck are we standing around here for? Let's move it!"

"But what about your training?" Aisha asked, though she also looked ready to forget about that instantly.

"Screw that! How often are we gonna get to use a bath house free of charge!" Elsword said cheerfully as he ran to grab a towel from his room.

"Well, I dunno about you guys, but for once I agree with Elsword." Aisha said.

* * *

"Ugh, I can't believe we have to wait untill the girls finish their bath!" Elsword growled angrily.

"Hey, they won rock-paper-scissors fair and square Elsword." Chung reminded him.

"Hey, whose side are you on?!" Elsword snapped.

"I'm not on anyone's side Elsword." Chung responded calmly. Elsword however ignored him as he approached a wicked smile on his face.

"Y'know, I'd be inclined to believe you, but I can't take any chances!" Elsword said as he jumped on Chung, promptly putting him in a headlock. Chung wriggled out and responded by jumping at Elsword, and the two began play fighting.

Raven sighed and closed his eyes as he continued to meditate. The thought of relaxing in a nice hot bath was enough to help him relax. A knock at the door caused him to open his eyes. Eve and Aisha were standing at the door in bath robes.

"Just thought we should let you know, the bath is available. You'd best get there before these two finish their fight." Aisha said. As Raven got up and walked by, he could've sworn he heard Aisha giggle.

As Raven stepped inside the main bath, the steam seemed to grow thicker. He held his hands out trying to feel his way through the steam maze. What surprised him is when he heard a voice.

"Hello? Is someone there?" The voice sounded suspiciously like Rena.

"Rena?"

"Raven?!"

"You're still in here?!" Raven asked incredulously.

"What made you think I wasn't?!"

"Aisha said the bath was empty!"

"But I told her that I was gonna stay for a few more minutes."

Raven turned around in an attempt to leave. "I'm getting out of here before someone gets the wrong idea." He said as he began to leave. Sadly his hands were still extended and his hands landed on something soft, warm and squishy. Raven heard a small 'eep' and soon realized what he'd just touched. He closed his eyes hoping he had just fallen asleep while meditating and that this was all a dream. The solid blow to his face assured him it wasn't a dream.

"YOU PERVERT!" With that, a solid kick was planted directly in his gems. Raven managed to get out one blood curdling scream, before keeling over in pain.

* * *

"…Look, he's waking up!"

"Give him some room." Raven opened his eyes slowly and sat up. A shooting pain ran through his head as well as through his lower regions.

"You o.k.?" Rena asked.

"Dude, what happened?" Elsword asked, though the smirk on his face suggested he wanted to know to get a laugh out of it.

"Well I-"

"He slipped on the way to the bath." Rena said as she cut him off. "I found him in the hallway." Raven's mouth hung agape, but when the others looked to him for conformation, he shook his head, still caught off guard.

"If you guys say so." Chung said.

"Wait, so does that mean we can finally hit the bath?" Elsword asked.

Aisha shook her head. "Some people have a one track mind." She muttered. "Yes the main bath is open."

"Awesome!" Elsword exclaimed. "Hey Chung, race ya!" Without even waiting, Elsword ran off towards the bath, Chung simply sighing before following his friend.

"Elsword stop running, or you're gonna end up like Raven!" Chung yelled after him.

"C'mon Eve, we'd better get some rest." Aisha said as she and Eve walked back to their room, leaving Rena and Raven in an uncomfortable silence.

"Sooo…. About what happened back there..."Raven began. Rena held a hand up.

"It never happened, agreed?" She said with a smile on her face.

Raven smiled wearily, and shook his head. "Agreed." He tried to stand up, but the pain in his head forced him to hold a hand to it and sit back down. Rena put a hand on his shoulder.

"You should lie down for a minute. You might have a concussion." Without waiting for his response, she sat down next to him and put his head on her lap. "Comfy?"

"Uh… yeah, I guess." Raven said as he tried his best not to tense up at his current position. "One thing I don't get though."

"Yeah, what is it?" Rena asked.

"If you told Aisha and Eve that you were going to stay in the bath for a little while longer, then why did they tell me that the bath was empty?"

Rena put a hand to her chin. "Honestly, I'm not too sure. Though I think I may have an idea."

* * *

"I can't believe that worked." Aisha said as she and Eve walked back to their room.

"Remind me again why we tricked Raven into going into the main bath while Rena was still there?"

"To get Rena off my case about me and Elsword. A moment like that hanging over her head should at least give her a taste of her own medicine." Aisha said matter-of-factly.

"So you and Elsword are not each other's mates?" Eve asked innocently.

Aisha's face flushed in embarrassment. "For crying out loud, NO! There is nothing going on between me and that immature red headed idiot!"

"So your reason for training him in the magic arts is purely platonic?"

"Yes. Trust me I have no feelings for Elsword beyond friendship and annoyance."

"That red tint in your face indicates you are not telling the truth."

Aisha turned away and hurried back to the room. "Never mind." She muttered as the sound of Elsword and Chung wrestling in the main bath echoed through the night.

* * *

**Me: Aisha you sneaky little mage, you.**

**Aisha: No regrets here. **

**Eve: I still believe you are not being totally truthful about your feelings towards Elsword. **

**Aisha: :3 I have no feelings towards Elsword.**

**Me: Lies.**

**Aisha: MAGIC MISSILE!**

**Me: Of course... AUGH!**

**Eve: Read and review mortals. **

* * *

**Sorry for the long wait peeps. Been a little busy. Hope this'll tide you guys over for a while. I'll do my best to push out some new chapters soon.))**


	9. Chapter 9: Awkwardness

Elsword: Changes We Make

**Ch 9: Awkwardness**

**Elsword's POV**

**In the Magic Sanctum**

Elsword swung the sword at the sandbag in front of him, sweat just beginning to run down his forehead. He'd been so focused on his magic training; he'd neglected his swordsmanship training. The bag swayed to and fro as Elsword unleashed the fullest extent of his training. The hook the bag was attached to began to groan and squeaked in protest, but Elsword continued his assault. He paused for a second and began to speed up, his sword coming off as a blur. With one final swing, Elsword managed to break the sandbag off the hook and into a wall, sand leaking out of the places the sword hit the most. Elsword wiped the sweat from his brow as he tried to catch his breath.

"How long you gonna stand there, Aisha?" Elsword asked. Aisha walked into the room, twirling her staff like a baton.

"That was pretty impressive. Do you usually practice this hard?" She asked.

Elsword nodded. "I have to. If I'm ever gonna catch up to Elesis, then I need to keep my sword play sharp." Aisha stared at him a while, then shrugged.

"Well, whatever works for you. Now, if you're done, then I was thinking we should get to work on your emulation training."

Elsword jerked his thumb towards the leaking sandbag, a smirk on his face. "Well considering that my only target is bleeding out right now, I'd say now is as good a time as any."

Aisha smiled and nodded. "That's what I like to hear. Now assume position." Elsword nodded and assumed a relaxed stance. The days of training in allowing his mana to manifest over him allowed him to do it relatively quickly. "Good, now focus all of your mana into your left hand." Elsword grimaced as he tried to focus all of his power into his hand. A tingling feeling began to spread down into his arm, and concentrated into every digit on his left hand.

"Now what?"

"Now, try to release the mana you've stored in your hand in the form of fire." Elsword thrust his arm foreword, and a small plume of smoke puffed out. Elsword stared at his hand in confussion and tried again. Once again, a small puff of smoke. Soon, Elsword began flailing his arm in frustration.

"What the heck?!

"Elsword…"

" Where's the fire?"

"Elsword."

"Why am I only shooting smoke?"

"ELSWORD!"

"What?!" Elsword snapped.

Aisha pointed to his hand calmly. "Your hand is on fire."

"What are you- GAH!" Elsword stared at his hand in fear. His hand was ablaze, as what was once a smoke puffer was now a miniature bonfire. "W-w-why is my hand on fire?!"

"Elsword try to calm down." Aisha instructed.

"How the heck can I calm down, my hand is flaming!" As he shouted, the fire seemed to grow larger. Elsword's eyes widened. "Aisha, what the heck do I do?"

Aisha groaned in annoyance. "As I said before, calm down." Elsword took a few deep breathes as he tried to keep it together. Soon, the fire began to grow smaller and smaller and soon the flame disappeared all together. Elsword let out a sigh of relief. "Finally. Now if you don't mind my asking; WHAT The HECK?!"

Aisha covered her ears and turned to Elsword. "Mana is affected by the state of mind of the wielder. Your frustration must have caused your mana to manifest like that. The angrier you got, the larger it grew."

Elsword stared at his hand and clenched his fist. "So what, every time I get mad, my hand gets hot enough to roast marshmallows?"

Aisha sighed. "No, it wasn't just your anger that sparked that flame Elsword, it was the passion you felt, the sudden adrenaline rush that came with that anger. My master taught me that fire is not just fueled by simple rage. 'That which drives you the most is also a conduit to fuel the flames within you.' Get it?"

Elsword tilted his head to the side. "Sorta… maybe… I dunno." Aisha simply closed her eyes and shrugged.

"Well we managed to get the fire going so it's a start. Now try again. This time focus on what drives you foreword."

Elsword closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. Warmth began to grow in his hand. He pulled his hand back and began to think of his reasons for fighting.

'_To become just as strong as sis… To find the missing El…To protect my friends…_As he thrust his hand foreword one last thought came to mind. One that surprised above all the others. _To impress Aisha…_ As the thought entered his mind, he thrust his hand foreword. A fireball the size of a basketball flew from his palm and burnt a hole right through the wall he was facing. A large **BOOM** could be heard as the wall (as well as anything nearby) was burnt to a crisp. Elsword opened his eyes and turned to Aisha, who stared back at him with equal surprise.

"Did… Did I just do that?"

"Yes… Yes! Elsword you did it! That was amazing!" Aisha squealed as she ran over and wrapped her arms around Elsword in a tight embrace. "Oh, I knew you could do it! I knew it. I'm so proud of you." Elsword blushed a little as Aisha let go. "Who would have thought you'd catch on so quickly? Who knows, maybe you'd even be able to master the other elements too if you applied yourself.

Elsword grinned. "Hey don't forget, this training may have been fun, but I'm still a swordsman at heart."

Aisha's smiled drooped a little, but she waved it off. "I know, I know. Honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. Now you may wanna get moving. I've gotta get this wall repaired, and you may wanna run, your hand is still smoking, and the Noah will have a cow if she finds out it was you." Elsword cringed. The last person to anger Noah was found picking porcupine quills from his rear.

Elsword waved as he ran off, though his mind raced faster than his legs. "What the heck was that last one about? And why did I feel so funny when Aisha hugged me?" He muttered to himself.

* * *

**Meanwhile elsewhere in Bethma…**

**Chung's POV**

Chung stood over the workbench in front of him and grimaced as the smell of a failed batch Disfrozen hit him.

"Well, that's another set of Disfrozen grenades failed." He said as he emptied it into a special waste disposal unit for any Disfrozen units that were burnt out.

Chung sighed and looked at the small satchel he carried with him into battle. He sighed as he noticed his dwindling supply of Disfrozen grenades.

"There's gotta be something I'm missing." He muttered.

"Perhaps you should relax and take the day off." Chung yelped and fell off of the bench he was sitting on. Had he thought that? That voice didn't sound like his.

"Are you o.k.?" Chung propped himself on his elbows and looked to see Eve standing behind him.

Chung sighed and shook his head. "You seriously gotta stop sneaking up in me like that. Now what were you saying about taking the day off?"

"My studies of humans have shown than taking a day off after long periods of work tend to refresh the body and the mind. No doubt it will do the same for you."

Chung put a hand to his chin as his brow furrowed in thought. _It has been a while since I actually took a break. _Finally he shook his head. "Alright, that sounds like a great idea." He got up to leave, but a thought struck him. He turned around and faced Eve who was staring at the beakers and vials he had just been using.

"Uh, hey Eve?" Eve looked up from her investigation. "Listen, I figure it'd be fun to go with someone else on this whole day off thing. You, wanna come with me?" Eve shook her head, and the two went off. The two continued to walk in companionable silence. But soon, Chung decided to break it with a question that had been haunting him for a while.

"Hey… um Eve? If you don't mind my asking, why do you look so different from the other Nasods? I mean most we've come across look strictly robotic, but you look like a human. Why is that?"

Eve put a hand to her chin as she pondered the question. "I honestly do not understand it. I was told it was for political purposes, for diplomatic purposes with other kingdoms."

"But then how did you grow up the way you did?"

"I am not sure… the king never told me…." Chung noticed the troubled look on Eve's face, which hinted him that he had upset her.

"Well, I uh mean… I guess it was a good choice. After all, a cute looking girl like you would be a lot easier to be able to talk to." Chung said as he scratched the back of his head.

Eve felt a warmth rise to her cheeks. "I suppose the same could be said for you. You're amiable as well as handsome. I'm sure most of the diplomatic missions you've gone on have gone without a hitch." Chung blushed profusely, but tried his best not to show it. The two continued to walk, the atmosphere suddenly more awkward, as they tried not to meet the other's eyes. Chung tried to break the silence once again.

"Uh hey a restaurant. Wanna get something to eat?"

Eve nodded though the rose colored tint on her cheeks remained. Despite the enjoyable food, the feeling between the two still remained awkward.

(**Man sorry about the late update ladies and germs. But with school and all, things have been a little hectic. I'll try to keep the updates as current as possible. Till then, ciao.) **


	10. Bit of a hiatus

**Elsword Postpone **

So hey guys. Dude to reasons (school, chores, etc) I'm gonna be on a bit of hiatus. That and I'm still trying to think up my next chapter. If you folks have any requests for couples in the story, gimme a shout. I'll do my best to make it happen.


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